Too cold for electric bike

[Cowsham]

It's still too cold to commute by electric bike cos I can't get enough heat built up in my body when I use it so I've left it in the garage and sticking with my normal mtb for commuting the 30 miles round trip till the weather gets a little warmer.

Just a thing to bear in mind when thinking of buying one for commuting -- I didn't really factor that in cos the main reason for building it was to prevent having to change clothing when I got into work and it does that very well.

When I hired a couple of ebikes when on holiday in England I did so because there was a heat wave and I came up with the idea that we could keep cool if we could spend a day on them which proved to be true.

Didn't occur to me I'd be too cold to use it in winter.

[Geoffroid]

The other issue to bear in mind is that it will likely damage the battery if you try to recharge when the battery itself is below freezing.

[pwa]

It's still too cold to commute by electric bike cos I can't get enough heat built up in my body when I use it so I've left it in the garage and sticking with my normal mtb for commuting the 30 miles round trip till the weather gets a little warmer.

Just a thing to bear in mind when thinking of buying one for commuting -- I didn't really factor that in cos the main reason for building it was to prevent having to change clothing when I got into work and it does that very well.

When I hired a couple of ebikes when on holiday in England I did so because there was a heat wave and I came up with the idea that we could keep cool if we could spend a day on them which proved to be true.

Didn't occur to me I'd be too cold to use it in winter.

No, it isn't something you would immediately think of. But it reminds me of the winter, many years ago, when I tried motorcycling, and the wind chill on cold days was severe. Even with good gloves and all the gear I was frozen. Just sitting there, in the wind, not generating my own heat through exercise.

I imagine battery performance might drop as well.

[Nearholmer]

Motorcycling in deep mid winter: I used to come indoors and run my hands under the cold tap to warm them up. If you put them under a warm tap it was like being hit with a sledgehammer.

[PH]

It's still too cold to commute by electric bike cos I can't get enough heat built up in my body when I use it so I've left it in the garage and sticking with my normal mtb for commuting the 30 miles round trip till the weather gets a little warmer.

I don't understand this. The heat generated from your effort on an unassisted bike is unlikely to be constant, the effort will vary with any undulation. On a non assisted bike if you dress for the flat, you'll overheat on an incline and chill on the way down. The way I use an e-bike is to even that out, that's an advantage at any time of year.

[rareposter]

Didn't occur to me I'd be too cold to use it in winter.

Put a coat on!

As PH says, the effort on an e-bike is within a much smaller range than on an unassisted bike where you'd get hot and sweaty going uphill then cold on the descent.

I've been riding throughout winter on mine, no issues at all. If you get cold hands try something like the Pogies insulated bar grips:
https://www.hotpog.co.uk/collections/cycling

[Cugel]

The ladywife can get cold on her e-bike at the moment, as we do 30-50K rides through some very hilly Welsh country in 2-6C degree weather. She's very slim/slight so loses heat much faster than me. Despite giving it her all up the long hills (where she gets/stays warm enough) the long downhills soon chill her. Even a few minutes at 30mph down the long swoops in 5 degree C air will start to cool her noticeably.

The only answer, if you get cold on the bike despite the efforts you're prepared to make, is to insulate your body more effectively. Start with the peripherals - feet, hands and head. The ladywife has a well-fitting over-the-ears insulated hat or two, a balaclava, some well-insulated & battery-heated gloves and winter cycling shoes over sealskin-style socks all covered with Gore Tex windproof booties. The booties are also a brilliant yellow, which is a good "here's cyclist" attention grabber.

WInter bib tights and jacket over wicking base layers (tights as well as long sleeve top); often a Gore Tex shakedry jacket on top too.

One thing she does now do to generate a bit of body heat is to keep pedalling on even the fastest downhills. This is less to make a significant effort and more to keep the body parts moving. Even this small effort can help generate a bit of warmth. On the other hand, pedalling downhill can slow you down, as you're not in an aero tuck but churning up the airflow with your reciprocating knees instead.

***********
Good and effective cycling clothing for the cold can be pricey, although there's always the sales, when the more expensive stuff can drop by a hundred quid or more per item. Also, there's second hand on e-bay that can be very inexpensive. But you have to wait and constantly look for such bargains.

Personally I've found Santini and Pearl Izumi winter clothing the most effective at keeping the windchill low without being restrictive, as some winter garments can be from being rather too thick/stiff over the moving or stretching parts.

Cugel

[Audax67]

I dress the same way as I ever did for motorless cycling, but then a motorized road bike allows much more body language than a "normal" sit-up-and-beg eBike. I maybe sweat a bit less - the HRM doesn't usually kick in until I'm at the top of the narsty hill out of our valley.

What I do find is that range is severely diminished when it's below 5°C, which is annoying.

[roubaixtuesday]

The ladywife can get cold on her e-bike at the moment, as we do 30-50K rides through some very hilly Welsh country in 2-6C degree weather. She's very slim/slight so loses heat much faster than me. Despite giving it her all up the long hills (where she gets/stays warm enough) the long downhills soon chill her. Even a few minutes at 30mph down the long swoops in 5 degree C air will start to cool her noticeably.

The only answer, if you get cold on the bike despite the efforts you're prepared to make, is to insulate your body more effectively. Start with the peripherals - feet, hands and head. The ladywife has a well-fitting over-the-ears insulated hat or two, a balaclava, some well-insulated & battery-heated gloves and winter cycling shoes over sealskin-style socks all covered with Gore Tex windproof booties. The booties are also a brilliant yellow, which is a good "here's cyclist" attention grabber.

WInter bib tights and jacket over wicking base layers (tights as well as long sleeve top); often a Gore Tex shakedry jacket on top too.

One thing she does now do to generate a bit of body heat is to keep pedalling on even the fastest downhills. This is less to make a significant effort and more to keep the body parts moving. Even this small effort can help generate a bit of warmth. On the other hand, pedalling downhill can slow you down, as you're not in an aero tuck but churning up the airflow with your reciprocating knees instead.

***********
Good and effective cycling clothing for the cold can be pricey, although there's always the sales, when the more expensive stuff can drop by a hundred quid or more per item. Also, there's second hand on e-bay that can be very inexpensive. But you have to wait and constantly look for such bargains.

Personally I've found Santini and Pearl Izumi winter clothing the most effective at keeping the windchill low without being restrictive, as some winter garments can be from being rather too thick/stiff over the moving or stretching parts.

Cugel

"The ladywife has a well-fitting over-the-ears insulated hat or two, a balaclava, some well-insulated & battery-heated gloves and winter cycling shoes over sealskin-style socks all covered with Gore Tex windproof booties."

She could be my doppleganger

[Cugel]

"The ladywife has a well-fitting over-the-ears insulated hat or two, a balaclava, some well-insulated & battery-heated gloves and winter cycling shoes over sealskin-style socks all covered with Gore Tex windproof booties."

She could be my doppleganger

For some reason I feel impelled to mention, in no uncertain terms, that you are not my darling ladywife. No.

Also, I'm quite sure I could differentiate you from her no matter how many hats, balaclavas, boots or even Godzilla costumes you both wore.

Cugel, very monogamous.

[axel_knutt]

It's still too cold to commute by electric bike cos I can't get enough heat built up in my body when I use it so I've left it in the garage and sticking with my normal mtb for commuting the 30 miles round trip till the weather gets a little warmer.

I don't understand this. The heat generated from your effort on an unassisted bike is unlikely to be constant, the effort will vary with any undulation. On a non assisted bike if you dress for the flat, you'll overheat on an incline and chill on the way down. The way I use an e-bike is to even that out, that's an advantage at any time of year.

This, and it get worse the lower your fitness level.

In order to keep warm between the climbs in sub-zero temperatures I had to wear:

thermal vest
three fleece jumpers
fleece jacket
windproof nylon jacket
thermal long johns
three pairs Ron Hill bikesters
two pr socks
two pr gloves
two balaclavas

and then struggle with overheating on the climbs.

Dressing down was out of the question, apart from forcing me to exceed my ability on the flat in an attempt to keep warm, I have a back problem that's triggered by the slightest sniff of cold. (It took me about 15 years to realise it's cold that triggers my back pain.)

[Vorpal]

It's still too cold to commute by electric bike cos I can't get enough heat built up in my body when I use it so I've left it in the garage and sticking with my normal mtb for commuting the 30 miles round trip till the weather gets a little warmer.

...

Didn't occur to me I'd be too cold to use it in winter.

You just need to find more hills

[Biospace]

Motorcycling in deep mid winter: I used to come indoors and run my hands under the cold tap to warm them up. If you put them under a warm tap it was like being hit with a sledgehammer.

I remember any water being too painful - gentle breathing on fingers was about all I could bear for a few minutes. "Hit with a sledgehammer" is a good way of describing the pain, I remember snowballing and sledging as a kid and not noticing until back in a warm(ish) house, when the pain would really ramp up. There were occasions I couldn't even remove gloves

Would a small fairing to keep the direct blast of icy air off hands and chest be of any use to ebikers, I wonder? Do they even exist for bicycles anymore?

[rareposter]

Would a small fairing to keep the direct blast of icy air off hands and chest be of any use to ebikers, I wonder? Do they even exist for bicycles anymore?

I refer you to my earlier answer.
Wear a coat.



Cunningly, this device also ensures I am protected from wind, rain and cold even when I have parked the bike and I'm walking!

What will they think of next?!

[Cowsham]

It's still too cold to commute by electric bike cos I can't get enough heat built up in my body when I use it so I've left it in the garage and sticking with my normal mtb for commuting the 30 miles round trip till the weather gets a little warmer.

I don't understand this. The heat generated from your effort on an unassisted bike is unlikely to be constant, the effort will vary with any undulation. On a non assisted bike if you dress for the flat, you'll overheat on an incline and chill on the way down. The way I use an e-bike is to even that out, that's an advantage at any time of year.

That's true too I could've put it in a low or no assist for flats to get some heat from leg power but I forgot the second reason I took the mtb -- the second hand donor bike I bought for the e conversion is too nice ( like new ) to be getting it and the hub / electronics covered in mud and grime off our still mucky roads.

Could've done with it this morning though -- took me and hour and a half to cover the commute to work which usually takes about 55min by ( non assist ) mtb because the wind was directly in my face.

I was soaking with sweat even though I'd left 20 mins early cos I'd underestimated the wind strength and my lack of bike fitness. ( not got out as much due to the awful weather recently ) so had to use my change of clothes I store at work. Also the anxiety caused by using up my 15min puncture fix time when the paths/roads are liable to have thorns on so light on full beam concentrating on the few yards in front -- had to stop once and carry the bike for a length of newly cut hedge. ( one more reason to use the mtb -- fixing a puncture on the e bike is a little trickier if it needs a new rear tube )